2020 Intensive Faculty

We are so excited to have the following instructors join our 2020 Summer Intensive Faculty! These teachers will be signing in from all over the country to share their knowledge and passion for dance with our students.  We are especially excited to offer a wide variety of dance styles this summer to allow students to apply their technique to different genres of dance.

Paige Amicon: Modern & Contemporary

Paige Amicon is a dance artist and teacher originally from Glenmoore, Pennsylvania. Her training began with Chester Valley Dance Academy. She then graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under Susan Jaffe with a BFA in Contemporary Dance. She also holds a high school degree from UNCSA with a concentration in ballet. There she performed works by Twyla Tharp, José Limón, Trisha Brown, Lucinda Childs, Merce Cunningham, and Helen Simoneau.
Since moving to Los Angeles, she has had a wonderfully adventurous freelance career. Performance experience includes work by Danielle Agami(Ate9), Santa Barbara Dance Theatre, Mallory Fabian(Fabe), Stephanie Zalatel(Szalt), Merce Cunningham, Sophia Stoller(Iris Company), and opera work by Yuval Sharon.

Julie Anzalone: Ballet

The Oxford Center for Dance was the launching pad for Miss Julie’s LOVE of dance 40 years ago. She began her training at OCD and has continued to study under numerous professional instructors. Her commitment to Quality Performance continues with 24 years of Nutcracker Performances at Oxford Center for Dance. She serves as Judge, Performer and Choreographer and in 2013 was the Co-Creative Director for Nutcracker.  Staying fresh and informed about ballet, teaching techniques and pedagogy is very important. Miss Julie attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teachers Intensive in 1995 and 2002 and the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Teacher Intensive in 2000 and 2007. Both programs lead intense training for teachers in ballet methods. Her love of teaching is endless and she adores coming to work each day to nurture her beautiful students and watch them progress.

Ryan Blackson: Lyrical & Theater

Ryan Blackson graduated with a BFA in dance with a jazz concentration from Marymount Manhattan College. A native of Wilmington, Delaware and resident of NYC, Ryan trains in many genres of dance including; ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, and modern. He has had the privilege of working and training with some of the best in the business. He recently worked on a Broadway musical workshop entitled, Revival, under the direction of Christopher d’Amboise. Ryan just completed a contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as a dancer, sailing through the Southern Caribbean. He has had the privilege of performing in a variety of shows around the nation including; A Chorus Line (Larry), Cats (Mr. Mistoffelees), La Cage Aux Folles (Cagelle), Chicago, Legally Blonde, Bye Bye Birdie, The Wizard of Oz, and many more. He has received numerous awards for his choreography at national dance competitions.

Stephanie Caputo: Ballet

Stefanie Caputo began her ballet training in her hometown of Wilmington, DE, studying under Pasha and Kristina Kambalov at First State Ballet Theatre. In 2002, Stefanie was honored as a Youth America Grande Prix Top 12 World Finalist in the Senior Division in New York City. Stefanie began her professional career with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre as a trainee and continued with Ballet Theater of Maryland, Alabama Ballet and Arova Contemporary Ballet. Stefanie has had the privilege of performing lead roles such as ‘Swanhilda’ in the full length production of ‘Coppelia’ and the title role in full length ‘Paquita’. Ms. Caputo also had the honor of performing pieces by noted choreographers such as Matthew Neenan, Terrance Orr, Victor Plotnikov, Roger Van Fleteren and Jennifer Medina. In 2013 Stefanie graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a B.S in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. Stefanie is Adagio Dance Company’s Junior Ballet Division, Assistant Director and teaches students within the Intensive Ballet Program.

Pam Devenney: Jazz

Mrs. Devenney has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Dance Education from Towson University. She has been teaching dance in the Public school system and private dance studios for the past fourteen years. Mrs. Devenney received the “1999 Dance Education Teacher of the Year” award from the Maryland division of AHPERD. She currently holds her Pennsylvania State Certification in Dance Education. While teaching dance courses at Immaculata University, she developed and directed the annual  Chester County Dance Festival. Currently, Mrs. Devenney directs the Dance Education Program at the  Academy of Notre Dame, a private girls school (grades 6-12),  in Villanova.

Stanley Glover: Pointe & Vogue

Stanley Glover was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. He began his dance training at Premiere one dance Academy under the direction of Adrienne Brazile. Stanley attended University of the Arts, in Philadelphia, where he graduated and received a BFA in May 2016. Stanley was a contestant and a part of the top 20 on FOX’s hit television show, So You Think You Can Dance Season 11. Stanley was able to perform repertoire and train under some of the best in the industry such as, Sonya Tayeh, Sidra Bell, Robert Battle, Dwight Rhoden, Tyce Diorio, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Gary Jeter, Roni Koresh, Wayne St. David, Tokyo, Random Dance, Hubbard Street, Pennsylvania Ballet and many more. After graduating Stanley performed 5 days a week in Cirque Du Soleil’s production of “Mystere” as a principal dancer. Stanley is now a company member at Philadelphia’s premier contemporary ballet company BalletX.

Suzanne Leader: Voice

Suzanne Leader earned a Master of Music in Music Education/Voice from West Chester University, and a Bachelor of Music in Music Education/Voice from the University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Conservatory of Music (CCM).  Suzanne also continued graduate studies in Children’s Choirs and Handbells at Westminster Choir College, and is a certified Kindermusic Instructor.

Professionally, Suzanne has worked for over 30 years in several public and private schools, churches, and in the private sector. Suzanne has performed with Barry Manilow, The Cincinnati Pops, The Brevard Music Center (Summer Stock Theater), Reading Civic Opera (Musical Theater), Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, and the Miss Pennsylvania Pageant.

Anglea Bates Majewski: Lyrical

Angela Bates Majewski started dancing at the age of five at the Anna Marie Dance Studio.  She has been trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap, and musical theatre.  She continued her performing education with The Young Americans in CA while touring with them around the US for 2 years.  She has also worked with Ann Reinking and the Broadway Theatre Project in FL.  She received her B.A. in Elementary Education with a minor in Music and Mathematics from West Chester University.  She has been performing all over the area in many musicals, and has also done some industrial work including performances at Radio City Music Hall.  Favorite roles include Judy Turner in A Chorus Line, Lola in Damn Yankees, Babette in Beauty and the Beast, Mazepa in Gypsy, June in Chicago, Kit Kat Girl in Cabaret, DeLee in Smokey Joe's Cafe, Phyllis and Annie in 42nd Street, and many others.  She has also had the privilege to choreograph “Damn Yankees”, “The Full Monty”, “Footloose” and “Black Patent Leather Shoes” at the New Candlelight Theatre, “West Side Story” at Three Little Bakers, “The Wiz”, “Seussical”, and “Urinetown” at the Wilmington Drama League, and many other musicals at local high schools.  She has been teaching all styles of dance for different levels and ages all over the Delaware Valley for the past 17 years.  She has received prestigious awards for her choreography at many national dance competitions.  When she is not teaching, choreographing, or performing, she is being a mommy to her two little boys, Charlie and Max, and helping her family run the family farm business.  The support from her family and husband Mike is like no other.  Angela is extremely grateful and blessed.

Kathryn Kopf McCarty: Ballet & Pointe

Kathryn began her dance education over thirty-two years ago in her hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, at the Anna Marie Dance Studio. She has trained and performed with companies such as Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Russian Ballet Theatre of Delaware and Ballet West. Kathryn attended the University of Utah as a ballet major before relocating to Southern California to tour both nationally & internationally with The Young Americans. Some of Kathryn’s professional credits include “One Man’s Dream II” (Tokyo Disneyland), Dance Captain & Mainstage dancer onboard The Disney Magic (Disney Cruise Lines) as well as numerous regional theater productions across the country. Several of her favorite credits include: “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas”, Crazy For You” and “Pippin”. Kathryn was the Founder & Artistic Director of Central Nebraska Youth Ballet, as well as having directed & taught in the studio setting for over a decade. Several of her students have gone on to train and dance professionally with companies such as American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Miami City Ballet and City Ballet of San Diego as well as earning national awards & honors across the country. Diversity in dance styles and education has allowed Kathryn to not only limit herself to ballet but she also continues to train dancers in a variety of genres. She has choreographed for many collegiate level dance teams as well as high school musicals. Kathryn co-coached a high school dance team for 5 years where they earned the Nebraska state runner up title for multiple years. Recently relocated to Ohio, Kathryn is currently on faculty with Dayton Ballet School and Dayton Dance Conservatory. She loves to share her knowledge and passion of dance with this generation’s young artists and continues to guest teach and adjudicate dance events around the country.

Ryan McCarty: West Coast Hip Hop

Born and raised in Grand Island, Nebraska, Ryan McCarty started his dancing at the age of 14. Being involved in show choir, dance organizations & freestyle sessions with friends. Ryan has always been drawn to the art and style of Hip Hop. After High School, Ryan moved to Los Angeles where he joined “The Young Americans” for 4 years. During his time with the group, he performed and taught 10,000+ kids in England (Stage Director), Ireland (Stage Director), Scotland (Stage Director), Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Japan (Stage Director) as well as touring throughout the United States. 

Ryan then moved back to his roots in Nebraska to continue his passion for dance and teaching. He has taught and worked with multiple studios throughout NE as well as teaching master classes and choreographing competitive routines for Studios across the country for the past 12 years. He choreographs at the collegiate level as well as for several high school show choir programs and dance teams and has been recognized at the state and national level for his choreography. 

Ryan currently works as a Regional Director for the Star Dance Alliance where he gets to travel the world, with his wife, and meet amazing young and talented dancers from all over. Ryan’s passion for the art of Hip Hop keeps growing through the students he has the pleasure of working with. He continues to further his training and knowledge of the style through conventions & teacher/training workshops.

Annie McGillian: Yoga

Annie McGillian has been teaching modern dance for the last 14 yrs. She has been teaching at Chester Valley Dance academy for 9 of those years. Annie graduated from Kutztown University in 2001 where she earned her B.F.A in Related Arts/ Dance. Since graduating she has taught dance in various dance studios both in Lancaster PA and Chester County as well as performed with and choreographed for Grant St. Dance Company. Annie is also a certified yoga teacher. She received her yoga certification from Yoga Life Institute in Devon Pa. Currently she is in year 2 of training to become a yoga therapist.

Allyssa Millar: Stomp

Allyssa Millar trained at Paul Klocke Studio of Dance in Aston, PA in ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, pointe, and contemporary. Over the years Allyssa has trained with Angela Bates Majewski, Robyn Brawley, Paul Klocke, Kim Klocke, Mary Beth Powell, Angela Boyd, Katie Speicher, Trish Ryan, Maegen Pruitt, and Heidi Jarrett. Allyssa graduated Summa Cum Laude from Midland University in Fremont, Ne with a Bachelor of Arts in Arts Management. During her time at Midland Allyssa was a member of the Premier Dance Company, Jazz competition team, choir, theater department, and a cappella group. Before attending Midland University, Allyssa was a member of the non-profit international organization, The Young Americans based in Corona, Ca. With the Young Americans Allyssa toured to over 12 countries performing and teaching music and dance to people of all ages. Allyssa is very passionate about teaching students. She has taught at Paul Klocke Studio of Dance in Aston, Pa, Angela Bates Dance Academy in Newtown Square, Pa, Studio of Dance Arts in Omaha, Ne, Julie’s Creative Movement & Camp; Dance Studio in Fremont, NE Arlington High School in Arlington, Ne, and Create 308 in Grand Island, NE. Allyssa is excited to return to the East Coast for a while.

Mallory Nolting: Ballet & Bandstand-Swing

Mallory, originally from New Jersey, was most recently on the first national tour of Bandstand. She is a graduate from Marymount Manhattan College with a Bachelors Degree in Dance. Mallory has had the amazing opportunity to travel while doing what she loves most, performing. She has worked at a variety of theater venues from her travels with national tours, regional houses, and cruise ships with shows including 42nd StreetHoliday InnSingin' in the Rain, and Swing! the musical.  malloynolting.com

Michael Nguyn: Hip Hop

Michael Nguyen is a passionate dance instructor, choreographer, and entertainment artist. He received his MFA in Choreography and Performance at Temple University where he has had opportunities to perform for many guest artists such as Kyle Clark and Jenifer Weber. Michael is also a member of Balance Dance Company, D2D: Dare 2 Dance, and is a choreographer for Beat Addikts United. His love for dance grew as a student at West Chester University. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies with a focus on Health Science and a Dance minor from West Chester University, Michael began working on his career as a choreographer, teacher and performing artist. He enjoys sharing his artistry by teaching for several dance studios throughout the local communities. Michael is inspired by other artists for their unique works with a means to continuing the exploration of methods for collaborating and building communities through dance.

Julie O'Connor: Stretch

Julie began her dance training with Chester Valley Dance Academy in 1992 until her graduation in 2003. Upon graduation she moved to California to join The Young Americans , a world renowned performance group.  With them, she performed and taught in many different countries and all across America. After falling in love with the country of Japan during one of her tours, she was determined to move to Tokyo and continue dancing there.  From 2010 to 2018 Julie performed in Tokyo Disneyland’s show “One Man’s Dream”  and many other special events during her time there.  She also held the role of dance captain throughout many of her contracts. She is currently teaching all over Los Angeles and is so excited to share her passion with CVDA students!!

Roderick Phifer: Pointe & Contemporary

Roderick Phifer was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. He found his love for movement while training at Miss Donna’s School of Dance at 7 years old. Roderick later furthered his pre-professional training at North Carolina Dance Theatre under the direction of Jean Pierre Bonnefoux and finished his training at Dance Productions under the direction of Lori Oxendine. Roderick graduated high school from Northwest School of the Arts in 2013, and recently received his BFA in dance from the University of the Arts in 2017. Roderick has had the amazing opportunity to perform works by Matthew Neenan, Roni Koresh, Dwight Rhoden, Jodie Gates and other world renowned choreographers. Roderick is in his second season with BalletX under the direction of Christine Cox.

Shawnta Smith Taylor: Caribbean

Shawnta Smith-Taylor is a native of Washington, DC where she graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, earned her BFA in Modern Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with the Outstanding Performer Award and Choreography Prize. In 2016, she received her Administration in Education Masters from Grand Canyon University. Mrs. Taylor is a highly qualified New Jersey K-12 Public School Certified Dance Educator who has trained students in dance technique performance and dance history in preparation for higher education in the art of dance.

Mrs.Taylor at an early age, performed with DC Youth Ensemble under the direction of Carol Foster and had a great opportunity to dance with the late Honi Coles. She later danced with Kariamu and Company, Arthur Hall African Art in Motion, Ibeji African Dance Company and Philadanco II under the direction of Donald Lunsford. Shawnta moved to Chicago to accept a principal dance position with MUNTU Dance Theater of Chicago where she traveled and performed throughout United States including  Mexico in the Guanajuato International Cervantino Festival. She then moved back to Philadelphia to begin to further her solo career as a dancer where she performed many solo one-woman shows including Exodus of the Flying Goose: the First Flight of Harriet Tubman under the direction of Arthur Leo Taylor, Conjure Woman (Community Education Center PIAS grant) in Philadelphia and Blood Memories at The Walt Whitman Cultural Center in NJ. She also was the artistic director/choreographer of her own dance company Circle in the Village Cultural Dance Theatre.

Mrs. Taylor has performed, choreographed and taught nationally and internationally including Bermuda and Anguilla; BWI. She has taught master classes at University of the Arts, Peabody Institute Dance Preparatory, Temple University, Gloucester County Institute of Technology and was an Adjunct Professor at Eastern University. Shawnta has been extensively trained in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, African, Caribbean and Umfundalai techniques from great teachers such as Dr. Kariamu Welsh, Milton Meyers, Pat Thomas, Sandra Fortune, Doris Jones (Jones and Hayward School of Ballet )Kim Bears, Wayne St. David, Roni Koresh, Ruth Adrienne, Assane Konte, the late Baba Chuck Davis and Amaniyea Payne to name a few. She was also singled out by the late great Dr. Katherine Dunham for her excellence in a Dunham technique class at Howard University. She performed for Nelson Mandela when he was honored with the Liberty Medal in Philadelphia, was an upgraded dancer in Oprah Winfrey’s movie “Beloved” and opened up for Sonia Sanchez at the Smithsonian Institution.

Shawnta had a wonderful opportunity to travel with educators from around the country on a trip to the Dominican Republic in the summer of 2009 where she witnessed up close and helped donate towards the personal needs of the Haitian citizens. She is a wife, mother of three daughters who enjoys community, cultural and educational outreach and spirtual healing. She is the founder of the Daughters of Kush: Sacred Circle to Womanhood Girls Rites of Passage and “Dancing in the Spirit” ministry. She is presently co-founder and co-artistic director along with her husband Arthur Leo Taylor of Imagine...Dance Theatre.

Kathy VanDereedt: Broadway - Fosse

Kathy VanDereedt is a professional dancer, teacher and choreographer working out of NYC. Kathy started her professional career dancing for three years in the company: pushing progress, under the direction of Calen Kurka, appearing in their 2006 New York Debut BARE. She continued to work with and assist Calen Kurka as a principal dancer in noesis:Kinetics, performing most recently in the work recognition.docx. In 2010 Kathy traveled with the Nourish Through Movement Tour as a featured dancer in the show and Company Ballet Director. She also performed numerous original works and repertory as a company member of Bryn Cohn & Artists under the direction of Bryn Cohn.

Kathy has also performed with BODYART under the direction of Leslie Scott, appearing in the evening-length work LOFT at BPAC and on their 2012 Tour. With BODYART she also performed a large scale site-specific work at the Queens Botanical Gardens as part of Queens Art Express. Kathy also had the privilege of assisting and performing numerous works under Chris Hale for many years, and has also performed the works of Sidra Bell, Manuel Vignoulle, Adam Cates, Rachelle Rak, Maya Escueta, and Anna Vollmar. She has also done a wide variety of industrial and live events as a dancer and model.

Theatre credits include the International touring company of Beauty and the Beast (Silly Girl, u/s Babette), and with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Kathy performed Saturday Night Fever (Veronica; u/s Stephanie; u/s Doreen; u/s Flo). She also performed as a dancer and aerialist in the production of In The Air. 

As a teacher and choreographer Kathy has worked internationally and across the United States at numerous studios, workshops, conventions, university and high schools, and is currently on faculty with “:pushing progress a workshop,” introducing her to hundreds of new students each year. She is also on faculty with their pre-professional 8 month Contemporary Training Program, and has taught at New York City’s Broadway Dance Center and for Dance Masters of America. Her choreography has garnered numerous honors and awards at showcases and regional and national competitions, and her work has been selected numerous times to be performed at the National High School Dance Festival in Philadelphia, a showcase for high school arts programs across the nation. Kathy is also an adjudicator with Starquest Dance Competition, Revolution National Talent Competition, Power of Dance, and Shine Dance Competitions. 

Katie Zimmerman: Ballet & Pointe

Katie Zimmerman was born in Madison, WI, and began her training at the Ballet Academy of Texas. She continued her training in the Philadelphia area at Chester Valley Dance Academy and International Ballet Theater. Katie attended summer programs including Kaatsbaan Ballet, Joffrey Academy of Dance, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. In 2015, Katie graduated from Indiana University with a BS in Ballet from the Jacobs School of Music and an Outside Field in Business. Upon graduation, she accepted a position with Nevada Ballet Theater, where she has just completed her fifth season. Her repertoire includes several ballets by George Balanchine, most notably the role of Dark Angel in Serenade and the principal female in Rubies. She has been featured in Violette Verdy’s Variations for Eight, Ben Stevenson’s Swan Lakeand Dracula, Septime Webre’s Alice (in Wonderland), and Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance). She has also performed with artists from Ciruqe du Soleil for the past five years as a part of Nevada Ballet Theater’s annual collaboration, A Choreographer’s Showcase.